1. No category

Kawasaki Disease in the Older Child
Tarek Momenah, Shubhayan Sanatani, Jim Potts, George G. S. Sandor, Derek G.
Human and Michael W. H. Patterson
Pediatrics 1998;102;e7
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PEDIATRICS is the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A monthly
publication, it has been published continuously since 1948. PEDIATRICS is owned,
published, and trademarked by the American Academy of Pediatrics, 141 Northwest Point
Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, Illinois, 60007. Copyright © 1998 by the American Academy
of Pediatrics. All rights reserved. Print ISSN: 0031-4005. Online ISSN: 1098-4275.
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Kawasaki Disease in the Older Child
Tarek Momenah, MBBS, DCH, FAAP, FRCP; Shubhayan Sanatani, BSc, MD, FRCP; Jim Potts, PhD;
George G. S. Sandor, MB, ChB, DCH, FRCP, FACC; Derek G. Human, MA, BM, BCh, MRCP, FRCP; and
Michael W. H. Patterson, BSc, MB, ChB, DCH, FRCP
ABSTRACT. Objectives. To determine the prevalence
of Kawasaki disease in older children and to evaluate its
clinical presentation, time to diagnosis, and outcome in
comparison with younger patients with the disease.
Methodology. A retrospective analysis of all patients
discharged with a diagnosis of Kawasaki disease at a
pediatric tertiary care hospital over a 12-year period.
Results. A total of 133 patients were included in this
study; 7.5% were 9 years of age or older at the time of
illness. Patients were grouped by age: infants included
children age 1 to 8 years of age and children 9 years of age
or older. Older children had a higher frequency of abnormal cardiovascular physical examination (50%) versus
children (6%) and infants (10%). The older age group and
the infants had a higher prevalence of coronary artery
abnormalities and poor left ventricular function than did
the 1- to 8-year-olds. Eighty percent of the older children
had coronary arteries that were either dilated or aneurysmal, and 30% demonstrated left ventricular dysfunction
on initial echocardiography. The number of days to diagnosis after meeting the diagnostic criteria was 5.8 6 2.3
for infants, 5.2 6 1.5 for older children, and 1.9 6 0.3 for
children. Older children had a complicated course of
Kawasaki disease compared with younger patients.
Conclusion. We found a higher prevalence of older
children with Kawasaki disease at our center than has
previously been reported. Older patients, as well as infants, had a higher rate of coronary artery abnormalities
than did the children between 1 and 8 years of age. Older
age at the time of illness or a delay in treatment may be
important factors in determining cardiac involvement in
Kawasaki disease. Pediatrics 1998;102(1). URL: http://
www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/102/1/e7; Kawasaki
disease, coronary arteries, intravenous immunoglobulin.
ABBREVIATIONS. KD, Kawasaki disease; CVS, cardiovascular;
ECG, electrocardiography; LV, left ventricular; WBC, white blood
cells; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; IVIG, intravenous immunoglobulin; ASA, acetylsalicylic acid.
S
ince its first description in the Japanese literature in 1967,1 much has been written about
Kawasaki disease (KD). A systemic vasculitis,
KD is characterized by fever, mucocutaneous manifestations, and musculoskeletal changes, and its most
From the Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Received for publication Sep 2, 1997; accepted Feb 19, 1998.
Reprint requests to (G.G.S.S.) Division of Paediatric Cardiology, British
Columbia’s Children’s Hospital, 4480 Oak St, Vancouver, British Columbia
V6H 3V4, Canada.
PEDIATRICS (ISSN 0031 4005). Copyright © 1998 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
devastating effects are on the heart, particularly the
coronary arteries. The etiology of KD remains unknown, and its presentation can be diverse.2,3 The
illness usually affects infants and children younger
than 3 years.1 KD is extremely uncommon in patients
9 years of age and older.4 – 6 The most recent epidemiologic survey from Japan found that ,1% of cases
occurred in children 9 years of age and older.6
Our experience suggested that KD affecting older
children was more common than reported previously. Our clinical impression was that most of the
older patients were diagnosed late in the course of
their illness and, consequently, had more morbidity
associated with the illness. Of interest to us were
reports suggesting that cardiac sequelae are more
common in patients younger than 6 months and 9
years of age and older.6,7 As a result of the paradox
between the existing medical literature and our clinical impressions, we conducted this study to determine the prevalence of KD in older children and to
evaluate its clinical presentation, time to diagnosis,
and outcome in comparison with younger patients
with the disease.
METHODS
Our hospital is a tertiary care facility in a large urban center and
serves as the referral center for the province of British Columbia
(population, 3.7 million) for pediatric cardiology, rheumatology,
and intensive care. The charts of all inpatients diagnosed with KD
from January 1, 1984, to September 30, 1996, inclusive, were reviewed. This study period coincided with our current medical
record database. The list was compared with our own cardiology
database for completeness. The following variables were recorded:
age at onset, duration of hospitalization, duration of fever, treatment modality, cardiac investigations, and complications. The
dates of the onset of illness, fulfillment of diagnostic criteria,
diagnosis, and treatment all were noted. We also examined the
time interval in days after which the diagnostic criteria were met
until the diagnosis was made.
An abnormal cardiovascular (CVS) examination was defined as
the presence of signs of congestive heart failure, ie, systemic or
pulmonary venous congestion, gallop rhythm, or cardiomegaly.
The incidental finding of congenital heart disease was considered
separately. Electrocardiography (ECG) findings were considered
abnormal if there was ST segment elevation, T-wave changes, Q
waves, or conduction disturbances. ECG was performed with an
ATL (Bothell, Washington) or a Vingmed (Horten, Norway) ultrasound machine. Echocardiograms were considered abnormal if
there was any abnormality of the coronary arteries or if there was
abnormal left ventricular (LV) function. The coronary arteries
were imaged using standard parasternal short axis views, following the coronaries in the atrioventricular groove with the fourchamber view, as has been described previously.8,9 Coronary artery abnormalities were defined as echogenic if the lumen was
clearly irregular or if there was mural prominence with normal
dimensions; dilated if the intraluminal diameter was $3 mm in
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PEDIATRICS Vol. 102 No. 1 July 1998
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children 5 years of age and younger and $4 mm in children older
than 5 years; and aneurysmal (including giant aneurysms) if the
intraluminal diameter was $4 mm in children younger than 5
years of age and $5 mm in children older than 5 years.9 –12 In this
study, we did not differentiate between different morphologies of
aneurysms (ie, fusiform, saccular). LV function was assessed qualitatively by wall motion as well as by M-mode, using a shortening
fraction of ,28% as abnormal.
The patients were placed into one of three groups: group A
included those 1 year or younger at the time of illness; group B
included 1- to 8-year-olds; and group C included those 9 years of
age and older. There have been reports describing the atypical
nature of KD in infants2,13 and, therefore, this group was considered separately. Because several large series have few patients
older than 9 years of age,6,14,15 this was chosen as the lower age
limit for the older group.
The mean and SEM or the median and range were calculated
for all of the descriptive variables. Nominal data were analyzed
using x2 analysis or the Fisher’s exact test. Initial analysis was
completed using 3 3 2 contingency tables. If the overall association was statistically significant, 2 3 2 contingency tables were
used to determine more specific associations. A general linear
models analysis of variance was used to determine whether differences existed in the continuous data among the three groups of
patients. If statistical differences were found, a Student–Newmann–Keuls multiple range test was used to determine which
groups differed.
Because multiple comparisons were made, P values ,.005 were
considered statistically significant; values between .005 and .05
were considered to indicate associations that were of marginal
statistical significance and worth additional consideration, and
values ..05 were considered statistically insignificant. All of the
statistical analyses were completed using SAS Statistical Software
(SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC).
RESULTS
From January 1, 1984, to September 30, 1996, a
total of 133 children with KD were discharged from
British Columbia’s Children’s Hospital. Seventeen
patients who were admitted for investigation of possible KD in whom the diagnosis was not made were
excluded from the review. The age and gender data
for the three groups are shown in Table 1. Ten patients were 9 years or older at time of illness (group
C). This represents 7.5% of our study population. All
of these patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria. As
seen in Table 1, 6 patients from groups A and B did
not fulfill the diagnostic criteria; however, the diagnosis was made on the basis of echocardiographic
findings in 4 patients and clinical suspicion in the
remaining 2 patients. These patients were not included in the time-to-diagnosis analysis (see below).
Table 2 compares the clinical characteristics examined; there were no differences in the duration of
fever, but the older patients were more likely to have
an abnormal CVS examination compared with the
younger patients (P , .001).
TABLE 1.
The diagnosis of KD was made before the diagnostic criteria were met in 19 patients, of whom 17
were in group B and 2 in group A. The diagnosis was
made within 48 hours of meeting the diagnostic criteria in 6 patients in group A, 43 patients in group B,
and 1 patient in group C. Therefore, the diagnosis of
KD was made promptly in 38.1% of group A patients, 58.8% of group B patients, and 30% of group C
patients, respectively. The mean interval from the
diagnostic criteria being met until diagnosis of KD
was made was significantly longer in infants and
older children (P , .003) (Table 2).
Additional laboratory investigations are summarized in Table 3. Although the white blood cell
(WBC) and platelet counts were higher in infants
(P , .0001 and P , .0001, respectively), the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was higher in the older
patients (P , .04). There was no difference in the
prevalence of abnormal ECG findings among the
three groups of patients.
There was a higher prevalence of abnormal initial
echocardiograms in children 9 years and older. They
had more echocardiographic abnormalities of the
coronary arteries than did children between 1 and 8
years of age, with 80% having coronary arteries that
were either dilated or aneurysmal. As well, 30% of
the older children demonstrated abnormal LV function on initial echocardiography (Table 4). Recognizing that many physicians consider 7-year-olds with
KD atypical, we also analyzed our data with the 7and 8-year-old patients in group C. With the inclusion of these patients, group C still had a higher
prevalence of abnormal CVS examinations and echocardiograms and took longer to defervesce than did
the group of patients 1 to 6 years of age (P , .003,
P , .006, and P , .04, respectively). However, there
was no difference in the time to diagnosis between
the two groups.
Several patients had a complicated course that included congestive heart failure, intensive care admission for inotropic support and ventilation, or readmission for recrudescence of symptoms. This
included 24% of group A patients, 13% of group B
patients, and 50% of group C patients (group C .
group B; P , .002). One infant (0.8%) died from a
myocardial infarction 1 month after his initial hospitalization for KD. Autopsy findings showed occlusion of the coronary arteries as a result of intimal
proliferation.
At our center, treatment was initiated at the time of
Number of Patients, Age, Gender, and Number of Diagnostic Criteria Met
Number of patients
Age (mo)*
Male:female ratio
Diagnostic criteria
3
4
5
6
Total
Group A
Age #1 y
Group B
1 , Age , 9 y
Group C
Age $9 y
21
6.8 6 0.5
0.9:1
1
2
11
7
21
102
43.3 6 2.1
2.2:1
10
130.8 6 5.5
1:1
3
15
84
102
2
8
10
* The mean (x# ) 6 SEM are reported.
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KAWASAKI DISEASE IN THE OLDER CHILD
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TABLE 2.
Fever, Initial CVS Findings, Delay in Diagnosis, and Length of Hospital Stay*
Fever (days)
Cardiovascular findings
Normal
Abnormal
Days to diagnosis after criteria met
Length of hospital stay (days)
Group A
Age #1 y
Group B
1 , Age , 9 y
Group C
Age $9 y
11.5 6 1.1
10.1 6 0.5
12.7 6 0.9
19
2
5.8 6 2.3
13.5 6 6.2
96
6
1.9 6 0.3‡
5.7 6 0.5
5
5†
5.2 6 1.5
8.2 6 1.4
The mean (x# ) 6 SEM are reported.
† Group C had a significantly higher proportion of abnormal CVS findings than did either group A or group B (P , .001).
‡ The time to diagnosis is significantly shorter in group B than in either group A or group C (P , .003).
TABLE 3.
Laboratory Investigations*
Peak WBC count
Peak platelets
ESR
ECG (n 5 124)
Normal
Abnormal
Initial ECG (n 5 132)
Normal
Abnormal
Group A
Age #1 y
Group B
1 , Age , 9 y
Group C
Age $9 y
24.1 6 2.1†
843.8 6 73.1‡
71.8 6 5.7
15.8 6 0.7
535.2 6 25.8
81.6 6 3.7
14.4 6 2.5
521.1 6 77.5
107.6 6 10.6§
14
6
85
9
6
4
11
10
74
27
1
9\
* The mean (x# ) 6 SEM are reported.
† Group A had a significantly higher peak WBC count than did either group B or group C (P , .0001).
‡ Group A had a significantly higher peak platelet count than did either group B or group C (P , .0001).
§ Group C had a significantly higher ESR than did either group A or group B (P , .04).
\ Group C had a higher proportion of abnormal ECG findings than did either group A or group B (P , .001).
TABLE 4.
Findings on Initial and Follow-up ECG
Normal coronaries
Abnormal coronaries
Echogenic
Dilated
Aneurysmal
2-Year follow-up
Normal
Abnormal
LV function
Normal
Abnormal
Group A
Age #1 y
Group B
1 , Age , 9 y
Group C
Age $9 y
11
10*
2
6
2
74
27
9
11
7
1
9†
1
6
2
9
1‡
24
3
6
3
97
4
7
3§
20
1
* The proportion of patients with abnormal coronary arteries in
group A is higher than in group B (P , .001).
† The proportion of patients with abnormal coronary arteries in
group C is higher than in group B (P , .03).
‡ The patient with abnormal coronary arteries died.
§ The proportion of patients with LV function is higher in group C
than in group A or group B (P , .004). One patient did not
undergo ECG (group B).
diagnosis (Table 5). In the era before treatment with
intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was standard at
this center (1986), patients were treated with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). One patient in group B did not
receive ASA with their IVIG. No comparison was
made between the original regimen of IVIG to the
current standard (400 mg/kg/day for 4 days vs 2
g/kg/day once). Patients who failed to defervesce
within 48 hours of treatment with IVIG or ASA were
more likely to have coronary artery abnormalities on
initial echocardiography (P , .006). Among this
group of patients, 12/26 in group B and 5/5 in group
C had abnormal coronary arteries. Among those pa-
tients who received a second course of IVIG for
ongoing symptoms, 3/6 in group B and 2/2 in group
C had abnormal coronary arteries.
DISCUSSION
The diagnosis of KD can be challenging because
the criteria may be present only fleetingly and may
be missed. Our study confirmed the atypical nature
of KD in infants.2,13 There was a greater time interval
from meeting the diagnostic criteria to making the
diagnosis, and a higher proportion of coronary artery abnormalities in infants compared with children
1 to 8 years of age. However, the coronary abnormalities resolved on follow-up. Young age has been cited
as a favorable factor in the resolution of coronary
aneurysms.12 The one death in our study population
was of an infant. This is comparable with mortality
reported previously.16
The diagnosis of KD may be missed in the older
child with fever of unknown origin. We have diagnosed KD in an 11-year-old patient who fulfilled the
diagnostic criteria for 2 months. Recently, we cared
for a 15-year-old patient in whom the diagnosis of
KD was suspected, but not made. Six months later,
she presented with angina attributable to myocardial
infarction. Angiography showed diffuse coronary artery disease, and she has since undergone coronary
artery bypass grafting.
The older group was not identifiably different
from the other two groups and, apart from their age,
they did not have atypical presentations (Table 1).
However, they had more cardiac involvement, and
there was a trend toward a longer time to defervesce
after treatment was initiated. Only one patient in the
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TABLE 5.
Treatment and Time to Defervescence
IVIG 1 ASA
ASA only
IVIG only
Second dose IVIG
Corticosteroids
Defervescence in 48 hours*
IVIG/ASA
ASA only
Group A
Age #1 y
Group B
1 , Age , 9 y
Group C
Age $9 y
18
3
83
18
1
6
2
9
1
Yes 5 52; no 5 26
Yes 5 12; no 5 7
Yes 5 4; no 5 5
1
Yes 5 13; no 5 2
Yes 5 2; no 5 1
2
1
* Patients who were afebrile at the time of treatment (n 5 31) were excluded from the analysis of time to defervescence.
older age group had normal coronary arteries on
initial echocardiography. The time interval to make
the diagnosis for patients 9 years and older was
greater than twice that for patients 1 to 8 years old.
All but one patient in the older age group had their
illness in the latter 5 years of the study; thus, the
delay in diagnosis is not likely to be attributable to a
lack of awareness of KD. This suggests that KD was
considered an unlikely origin of the fever in the older
children.
It has been suggested that treatment with IVIG is
most efficacious when administered early in the
course of the illness.17,18 However, we still administer
IVIG to patients who are diagnosed with KD, regardless of the duration of their illness. Longer duration
of fever before treatment has been associated with
coronary aneurysm formation.3 In our study, patients who failed to defervesce within 48 hours after
treatment with IVIG or ASA were more likely to
have coronary artery abnormalities and LV dysfunction than those who defervesced. In addition, 55% of
patients who received a second course of IVIG for
ongoing symptoms had abnormal coronary arteries.
Two of the three older patients who were diagnosed promptly and treated went on to have a complicated course. Both developed congestive heart
failure, were admitted to the intensive care unit, and
did not defervesce with IVIG treatment. They went
on to develop coronary artery abnormalities. Delay
in diagnosis and treatment in the older patients,
therefore, was not the only risk factor for a poor
clinical course in KD.
The majority of coronary artery abnormalities resolve within 2 years of the illness.5,19 In our study,
almost all of the echocardiographic abnormalities
normalized within 2 years, except in the older age
group, in which there was a trend toward more
residua on follow-up. However, new evidence suggests that KD may result in long-term damage to the
coronary microcirculation, even in the apparent absence of coronary involvement during the acute
phase of the illness.15,20
A study of this type has some limitations. The
prevalence of older patients (9 years and older) in
our study, compared with other series, may naturally
reflect some selection bias. Because we are the tertiary center for the province, we do see a greater
proportion of complicated cases of KD, and the nature of KD in the older patients suggests that they
would be referred to our hospital. Even those patients not managed here during the acute phase of
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the illness would have been referred for outpatient
follow-up, because we are the only center in the
province that performs pediatric echocardiography.
Another potential limitation of our study is that not
all patients had angiography to definitively diagnose
coronary artery abnormalities.21
CONCLUSION
We found a substantially higher prevalence of
older patients with KD at our hospital than has been
reported previously in the medical literature. The
older patients, as well as the infants, had a higher
rate of coronary abnormalities than children 1 to 8
years of age. A study of this type cannot determine
whether the delay in diagnosis and, therefore, a delay in treatment were responsible for the higher rate
of complications. However, KD in the older child, as
well as in the infant, may represent a variant of the
disease in terms of its severity. Pediatricians must
include KD in the differential diagnosis of fever
without a focus in the older child.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We thank our colleagues in the Department of Rheumatology
for their help in preparing this manuscript: Dr R. Petty, Dr P.
Malleson, Dr D. Cabral, and Dr C. Huemer.
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Kawasaki Disease in the Older Child
Tarek Momenah, Shubhayan Sanatani, Jim Potts, George G. S. Sandor, Derek G.
Human and Michael W. H. Patterson
Pediatrics 1998;102;e7
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PEDIATRICS is the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A monthly
publication, it has been published continuously since 1948. PEDIATRICS is owned, published, and
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